


Joseph Thompson and the Daunting Door

by wow30



Series: Joseph Thompson: Hogwarts Mystery [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Hogwarts Mystery
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cursed Vaults, Friendship, Gen, Hogwarts First Year, Hufflepuff, Identity Issues, Male Player Character (Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery), Male Rowan Khanna, No romance yet everyones 11, Slytherin, Video Game: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, but only slightly - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-05-17 04:43:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 15,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14825468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wow30/pseuds/wow30
Summary: Jacob Thompson was an elite student, a true Slytherin that did nothing but make his family proud. Well, at least until he got expelled. Suddenly the Thompson's were no longer ordinary, one of their sons was missing, and the other, well...He was starting his first year at Hogwarts.(The first work in a series based on the money-grubbing phone game)





	1. “Normal’s” End

The Thompsons, at one point or another, were nothing short of ordinary. Well, as far as wizards go. They ate ordinary meals, with an occasionally magical desert, read ordinary books about all things unexplainable by muggle standards, and lived in an ordinary house in Falmouth.

Mr. Thompson was the captain of a potion shipment boat that disguised itself as a fishing vessel for muggles, and because of it he was rather fit, with deep brown eyes and hair that was perpetually too long to look neat, but too short to be worth cutting. His wife, Ms. Thompson, ran their very successful cauldron shop, where she took great pride in putting minor hexes on their goods to ensure that customers needed to keep coming back. Her rounder face and blue eyes were framed nicely by her short hair, and her heavier figure was accented by her brewing robes.

Their eldest son, Jacob, left for Hogwarts at eleven and was immediately sorted into Slytherin, just as the rest of his family had been. During the short two weeks off in winter and the long days of summer he told his younger brother stories of moving staircases and impossibly fantastic classes, his short black hair shading his brown eyes endlessly filled with wonder.

Then one day, Jacob was expelled.

The letter arrived before he did, and its contents erupted fury throughout the Thompson house, with the screaming only being blocked by imperturbable charm. Joseph never heard what was yelled, but his guesses were never good. That night, when his parents had finally crawled into their bed, he made his way to Jacob’s room.

“What is it?” Jacob asked, his door open faster than expected. 

“I-I just…” Joseph’s eyes fell on his brother’s desk, more unorganized than ever before, covered in black quills, books, and loose paper.

“Look, Joey, you’re going to start hearing things soon.”

“What kinds of things?”

“Bad things. All lies, okay? All of them.” Jacob’s eyes grew wider with every word, pacing the halls with his head movements alone. “But I’m going to prove it. I’m going to prove all of it.”

Joseph nodded, stepping back in surprise at his brother’s unnatural nervousness.

“You need to go to bed now, okay?”

He nodded again and went to his room. That morning, Jacob was gone, replaced by articles in the Daily Prophet and whispers in town. In an instant the Thompsons became mad to the public, unapproachable. Ms. Thompson’s cauldron shop closed down, and soon after Mr. Thompson was forced to take longer trips in order to compensate.

With no one left to talk to besides the voices in his own head, Joseph spent his days desperately tearing through his brother’s room in hopes of any clue. Then, in 1984, he got a letter.

~~~

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Thompson,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1st September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

~~~

He was finally going to Hogwarts.


	2. Hogsmeade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseph heads to Hogsmeade, ready to escape his mother, buy his gear, and run into someone new.

Joseph pushed himself through the slowly opening bricks faster than was probably necessary, but he was willing to do even the most minuscule things if it meant he got closer to Hogwarts and away from his mother. She shouted after him in vain, waving the supply list he had accidentally forgot in the air for a few moments before deciding that he would figure it out eventually. Turning the nearest corner far too quickly for his own good, Joseph collided into someone, knocking both his and the unknown person’s glasses straight off their face.

“Sorry! I’m sorry!” Joseph stammered, picking up a pair of glasses from the ground and putting them on, “I really should have looked where I was-”

“I think you’re wearing my glasses.” The boy interrupted, Joseph’s own glasses resting on his nose.

“And I think you’re wearing mine.” The two children chuckled softly before exchanging their glasses, the frames pushing up Joseph’s wavy brown hair while highlighting his blue eyes. They both stood awkwardly for a moment, Joseph taking in the boy’s messy black hair and dark eyes before the child shot his hand out.

“I’m Rowan Khanna. Are you getting ready to start at Hogwarts too?”

“Yes! I just need to…” Joseph searched his pockets in desperation, quickly realizing that he did not have his supply list, “I just need to figure out where to go, I guess.”

“I can help! I’ve been reading  _ Hogwarts: A History  _ in anticipation for my first year, so I’m practically an expert on Hogwarts.”

“How does reading a book once make you an expert?”

“It doesn’t! That’s why I’ve read it four times. Anyways, you should start by finding all the books you need at Flourish and Blotts.”

“Right.” Joseph state blankly, wondering if he should thank Rowan or run. He decided on the latter, giving him a slight wave before heading inside the shop. 

~~~

While finding the right books, as well as a few others that were not on the list, was simple, Joseph realized that he probably wouldn’t get very far in terms of direction unless he went back to his mother or continued to talk to Rowan. It was an easy choice.

“Rowan! Wait up!” Joseph yelled, chasing after the boy as he quickly headed to what seemed to be a clothing store. “Thank you for helping me out, I was able to get all of my books.”

“Of course! I was just so caught up in thinking about Hogwarts earlier that I forgot to ask your name.”

“It’s Joseph.” He mumbled slightly, purposely leaving out his last name.

“It’s great to meet you Joseph! And since I helped you earlier maybe you could help me.” Joseph tilted his head in confusion. “You see, I already got my supplies, but my mum gave me enough to also by something special for school. I want everyone to know that I’m gonna be Head Boy someday, so I wanted to buy something that made me stand out. I’ve just never worn anything that wasn’t a hand me down before. Do you have any ideas?”

“What about a smart scarf?”

“That’s perfect! I can wear it during the winter, show off my brain, and discuss the alliteration with other students! I’ll go buy one now, meet me here after you get your wand from Ollivanders.”

~~~

Ollivanders was quite possibly the most nerve-racking store Joseph had ever been in. Hundreds of boxes lined the walls, each filled with so much magic he could practically feel it forming around him. He was far too nervous to get his wand.

“Hello,” A man’s voice broke his train of thought, “Garrick Ollivander, here to get your first wand, I assume?”

Joseph nodded.

“I have just the thing. Applewood wand, dragon heartstring core, nine inches, rigid. Give it a twirl!”

The second the wand was placed in Joseph’s hand the room started to shake, papers scattered around soaring towards the roof while boxes flung from the shelves. Startled, he dropped the wand and turned back to Ollivander.

“Sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s not your fault,” Ollivander interrupted, coming out from behind his desk to pick the wand up off the floor, “The wand chooses the wizard, and this one is clearly not for you. I recall your brother exploded my favorite inkpot when he tried his first wand.”

“You knew my brother?”

“I remember every wand I’ve sold. His was maple wood, dragon heartstring core, ten inches. A fine wand. Shame they snapped it in half when he was expelled.” Ollivander suddenly looked very curious. “I understand he ran away from home soon after. That must have had a profound impact on you.”

“I was… I am worried.” Joseph started, staring down at his feet, “He loved us, and he loved Hogwarts. I just hope he’s okay.”

“Sensitivity can be a great strength. I think I have the wand just for you.” Ollivander slid a box out from underneath his desk, pulling out a flimsy looking stick with wood curling around its handle. “Acacia wand, unicorn hair core, twelve inches, pliable.”

Joseph took the wand in his hand and gently flicked it, feeling a sudden flood of warmth envelop his skin as a bright light rose from beneath his feet. He had found his wand.

~~~

Rowan looked slightly more ridiculous with his colorful scarf on, but in a way, it suited him. He bounced in excitement, playing with the fringes as Joseph smiled at him.

“It suits you,” He smiled, watching as Rowan finally got ahold of himself.

“It was your suggestion! I’ll come to you for all future fashion advice,” Rowan said, glancing at the wand in Joseph’s hand, “Wait a minute, is that an acacia wand!?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

“My family owns a tree farm! We supply wood for wands and brooms. That’s why I spend most of my time reading, it makes it so I don’t have to go outside and work!” Rowan’s smile faltered, as he nervously glanced to his side, “That and the fact that I don’t have any friends…”

“We can be friends, if you want.”

“You don’t think I’m too weird? People usually think I’m too weird.”

“People think the same thing about me.”

“Why would anyone think that?”

Joseph took a deep breath, here goes nothing, “My last name is Thompson.”

Rowan’s eyes widened, “You don’t mean-”

“Yes. Brother of Jacob Thompson.”

“The same Jacob Thompson who got expelled for breaking school rules in search of the fabled vaults?! Everyone at school is going to know about that after the Daily Prophet’s article last year!”

“Yeah, and they’ll all think I’m weird.”

“We can be weird together!” Rowan beamed, his expression suddenly turning furious, “And if anyone tries to tarnish your reputation I’ll use my extensive vocabulary to verbally pummel them!”

Joseph laughed, waiting for Rowan’s face to get less serious. “I’m glad we met. It will be nice to see a friendly face at school, especially from someone who knows the place so well.”

“Me too Joseph! I’ll see you on the Hogwarts express in September!”

Joseph nodded, waving goodbye as Rowan left to find his dad. He stood there for a moment before turning around and heading back towards the entrance. All he had to do was survive for a month.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment below and tell me what you think! I live for criticism and those random people who keysmash before posting.


	3. The Train Ride

“Joseph! In here! I got us this compartment,” Rowan yelled, practically pulling Joseph into the seat across from him. “It’s good to see you again!”

“Good to see you too, Rowan.” Joseph smiled, his eyes drifting around the neat train compartment and out the window. The train had just set off, and it would be a little while before it reached Hogwarts. “How did you enjoy your last month before school.”

“It was great! I managed to read through  _ Hogwarts: A History  _ again and-”

The compartment door being hastily pulled open cut Rowan off, as an out of breath boy stuck his inside. His blond hair stuck to his head from his sweat and his skinny body shook so hard it looked as if he was going to shatter.

“C-can I h-hide in here?” He asked nervously, looking back into the hallway as distant footsteps grew louder.

“Okay,” Joseph responded, more confused than anything as the boy curled behind the suitcase he had left on the floor. Moments later the door was thrown open again, this time an angry looking girl with short, messy brown hair standing on the other side.

“Did either of you twits see a blond mudblood running through here?”

“Um,” Rowan gulped, “No we didn’t-”

“He went that way,” Joseph interrupted, pointing further down the hall. “You should have seen how fast he was going. I can only assume he’s planning on begging the prefects for a place to hide in their cart.”

“Ugh, figures.” The girl groaned, beginning to split down the hall as she pulled her wand from her pocket. Joseph closed the compartment door calmly, sitting back down in his seat before looking over at the boy again.

“You can get up now.”

“Are y-you sure?”

“Don’t worry, once the prefects see her running around crazily with her wand out, looking for you will be the last thing on her mind.”

“Okay. T-thanks.” The boy stood up slowly before Rowan’s hand suddenly shot up to his face, startling him so much Joseph was surprised he didn’t fall down again.

“I’m Rowan Khanna, and that’s Joseph. Nice to meet you!”

“R-right,” The boy stuttered, shaling Rowan’s hand weakly before taking a seat opposite him. “I’m Ben Copper.”

“And you're muggle-born?”

“Y-yeah…” Ben sighed, looking down at his feet.

“That’s so interesting!” Rowan beamed, causing Ben’s head to shoot up, clear surprise on his face. “The muggle world must be so different, you’ll have to tell us about it.”

“Maybe later,” Ben mumbled, looking towards the window, “I’m a little too worried to think about any of that right now.”

“Why? Are you still worried about the girl?” Joseph asked, “I promise you, she won’t be coming back.”

“It’s not that, just… the sorting ceremony tonight.”

“And?”

“And what if something goes wrong! What if I’m not meant to be here and I don’t get sorted at all or-”

“Woah, woah,” Rowan laughed, “Don’t worry, if anything Hufflepuff will accept you, they’ll take just about anyone, according to what I’ve read.”

“You read up on all the houses?” Ben questioned.

“Only enough to learn each house’s history and the biographies of each of the founders.”

“Wow.”

“So you’re a shoo-in for Ravenclaw then Rowan?”

“Yep!” Rowan smiled, pulling a nearby book onto his lap, “I think I know enough to where I have to be! What about you?”

“Slytherin.” He stated blankly, looking at the other two student’s shocked faces, “What?” 

“It’s just that Slytherins are supposed to be so-” Ben started, quickly cut off by Joseph.

“Mean? Absolutely not. They're just more... resourceful. And more likely to put themselves first. It’s nothing personal. I should know, my whole family’s been put in Slytherin. It’s a legacy thing.”

“Yeah, and you were pretty quick on your feet when it came to tricking that girl.” Rowan added, “I guess Slytherin really would be perfect for you, Joey!”

Joseph winced, “Don’t call me that.”

“Seph, then! Are you looking forward to potions the most? Your future head of house  _ is  _ the professor after all."

“Are you kidding? Potions is going to be fantastic! I grew up in a cauldron shop and surrounded by ingredients.” 

“I just hope flying class gets canceled all year,” Ben muttered, causing both Joseph and Rowan to chuckle.

“Don’t worry Ben, Rowan and I will catch you if anything happens.”

“Thanks, guys.” Ben smiled slightly, “Do you really want to know about muggles?”

Rowan practically bounced on his seat in excitement, “Yes!”

 

It was going to be an interesting train ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try and throw in these extra original things alongside the stuff already in the game, because I feel like the game leaves too many weird time gaps that make the story hard to pinpoint in terms of timeframe. Also yeah I'm introducing Ben in earlier than the game did. There will be other slight changes like that along the way. Anyway! Comment if you'd like, I live for feedback.


	4. An Unwelcome Sorting

Despite Professor McGonagall’s very powerful speech and even stronger voice, Joseph found himself distracted during most of the sorting ceremony. The hall of students while usually in commotion quieted down each time the hat began to speak, only for the house it said to suddenly jump out of their seats and cheer.

As the first years slowly made their way into each house, Joseph only really focused on a few. Mostly Rowan and Ben, who were bouncing in both excitement and terror, though for Ben it was mostly the latter.

“Next,” Professor McGonagall announced, “Is Ben Copper.”

Rowan and Joseph both clapped slightly louder than for the previous students as Ben sat down on the chair, the hat placed on his head causing him to almost shrink in size. While Joseph couldn’t hear what it was saying, the hat whispered to Ben for three whole minutes before it suddenly yelled out “Gryffindor!”

Well, that was a surprise.

When Rowan went up it was a similar thing. Despite him being incredibly studious he was almost instantly sorted into Hufflepuff, giving Joseph a large smile that only faltered slightly when he walked past.

“And now,” Professor McGonagall boomed, “Joseph Thompson.”

Instead of slight chaos as Joseph made his way to the seat, the whole hall was suddenly alive with whispers, every student only glancing at him for a split second rather than trying to show support and ease his nerves.

“Hmm… very interesting,” The hat whispered, shifting around on Joseph’s head in contemplation, “I haven't seen one like this in a very long time.”

“Oh, get on with it,” Joseph muttered, “I already know I’m a Slytherin.”

“Ah, yes, just like your brother, always in a hurry. I can tell you share many characteristics with the rest of your family. Slytherin would suit you perfectly.” Joseph relaxed, smiling slightly as the hat yelled out, “Hufflepuff!”

The whole room went silent, the only sound made coming from Rowan, who was seemingly unaware that his cheers were not reciprocated by the rest of his house.

“What? But you just said-” Joseph began, raising his voice, louder than he intended.

“Hurry up Mr. Thompson,” McGonagall interrupted, lifting the hat from his head, “The rest of your house is waiting.”

~~~

“Seph! I’m so glad that we both got put into the same house!” Rowan beamed, “Are you excited?”

“Sure I’m just, uh,” Joseph paused, the looks from his new housemates overwhelming him, “Trying to take it all in.”

“I’m surprised they even let you into Hogwarts after your brother ruined Slytherin’s reputation.” A fourth-year sneered, taking a bite out of his meal.

“Joseph will be an excellent Hufflepuff!” Rowan glared, speaking a little too loud when in a crowd of people. “Unlike you, who spends all their time bullying first years.”

“Whatever, just stay out of trouble.”

The two of them returned to eating, only occasionally glancing up to see the other glaring. By the end of the meal, the atmosphere around the Hufflepuff table was more hostile than what was probably normal. At least, until Dumbledore began speaking.

“Welcome!” He began, looking out at the large crowd of students, “Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. These past few years have seen a great weight lifted from our world. The boy who lived, Harry Potter, is safe. Years from now he too will attend Hogwarts, but for now it is your turn. Remember that triumphs will bring earn you house points, while rule-breaking will lose them. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will win the house cup! A great honor.” Dumbledore paused as the students cheered, turning to look directly at Joseph, “I hope you all will be a great credit to your house.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter, but it's a chapter nonetheless. Please let me know what you think!


	5. Class is in Session

Joseph walked quickly towards the charms classroom, pulling down on his sweater vest every couple of seconds. It, as well as all the other clothes Hogwarts had provided him with, were clearly meant for someone without Joseph’s rounder body shape. After pushing the door to class open he immediately walked straight towards Professor Flitwick, sticking his hand out towards the short man looking down at him from atop a stack of books.

“Pleased to meet you Professor Flitwick, my name is Joseph Thompson. I’m looking very forward to charms this year.”

Surprisingly, rather than simply shaking his hand, Flitwick held Joseph’s with both of his, smiling so carelessly that it caught him off guard.

“Ah! Joseph! It’s a pleasure to have you. If you’re anything like your brother you’ll do just fine. He was one of my best students!” Flitwick released his hand, his smile fading away, “That being said, he was also one of my most rebellious. Are you going to follow the rules?”

Joseph smiled, “As much as all the other students Professor.”

Flitwick laughed, “You’d be surprised to hear that that's not too comforting. Take your seat, class will begin in just a few minutes.”

~~~

“Welcome to your first Charms Class at Hogwarts! I am Professor Flitwick, as you may already know, and today we will be learning the wand-lighting charm,  **_Lumos_ ** !” With the flick of his hand, the professor's wand suddenly began emitting a bright light, and despite the spell being so simple the display of it was enough to cause a few students to clap. Excluding Ben of course, who was sitting across the room from Joseph and was so panicked by how loud Flitwick recited the spell that he screamed.

Everyone slowly turned to look at him, practically forcing Ben to sink lower into his seat while whispering, “Sorry, I’m sorry. Please just go on.”

Flitwick’s grimace continued for a moment as he slowly looked away from the blond boy, “Right,” He began, “Try to remember, it’s  _ Lumos _ , and the hand movement is simple, just a quick flick and you’re done. Try it yourselves now.” Flitwick began to smile, looking at all the first-years pull out their wands and try to cast their first spell, “I know that it will take a few attempts, but we have the whole class to-”

“ **_Lumos_ ** .” Joseph muttered, his wand suddenly lighting up. The whole class looked at him in awe, Rowan especially, who was leaning in so close to Joseph’s wand that he worried he’d go blind.

“Mr. Thompson, did you just-”

“I think so.” Joseph hastily responded, shocked at his own achievement.

“Well!” Flitwick beamed, “That may be the best execution of the wand-lightning charm I’ve seen in years! Ten points to Hufflepuff!” A few Hufflepuffs cheered in excitement as Flitwick began to circle the room, providing advice to students who needed it.

“Wow Seph! You’re a natural!” Rowan smiled, placing his wand down for a moment, “I was reading our textbook all last night and I still didn’t get it as fast as you did.”

“That’s probably due to a lack of sleep Rowan, you really shouldn’t do that.”

“Speaking of sleep, did you go right to bed after dinner? You weren’t at the Hufflepuff house meeting last night!”

Joseph frowned, the light from his wand dimming, “I just… felt a little tired is all.”

“Well, if this hasn’t woken you up yet potions sure will! Let's walk there together when class ends.”

~~~

Rowan led Joseph down through the dungeons towards the potions classroom, walking backwards in order to give off the impression of a tour guide. He listed off various facts about the castle, stopping a few times to pull out a book and triple check what he was saying, and Joseph simply listened while trying to make sure he didn’t walk into anyone.

“YOU!” A student yelled, angrily walking towards the two of them.

“ME!?” Rowan cried, almost falling backwards in fear. The female student walked straight up to Joseph, pointing an accusing finger in his face, her short brown hair falling just above her eyes.

“Do I know you?” Joseph asked, putting up his hands in surrender.

“You got me in trouble on the train! And I saw you leave with that mudblood, you were protecting him the whole time!”

Joseph suddenly remembered the girl’s earlier torment, frowning slightly as he lowered his hands, “Well you were tormenting him. What was I supposed to do?” He paused, looking her up and down for a few moments, taking in her messy Slytherin robes, “Who are you anyway?

“I, Merula Snyde, and the most powerful witch at Hogwarts.”

“Is that how you introduce yourself to everyone?”

“Besides,” Rowan cut in, “Joseph should be the one claiming to be the best wizard, his wand-lighting charm was the best from a first-year Flitwick had ever seen.”

“Joseph?” Merula smirked, “Oh, I know who you are. Your idiot brother lost his mind, disgraced his house, was expelled, and then disappeared. You deserve to be in Hufflepuff, you and your family don’t belong in Slytherin.”

Joseph growled, “Don't you ever-”

“Thompson.” Professor Snape interrupted, looking down on the first years, “Care to explain why you’re yelling at one of your classmates?”

“She-”

“He was insulting me Professor,” Merula cut in, smiling at Joseph, “Me and the whole Slytherin house.”

“That’s a lie!” Rowan yelled, “Seph was just defending himself.”

“The three of you, get to class immediately.” Snape glared, his eyes never leaving Joseph, “Be glad you aren’t headed towards detention.”

~~~

Unfortunately for the three students, the only seats left were all at the same table, forcing them to all sit by each other. Merula smirked at them from her seat.

“You’re already doomed to fail Thompson,” She laughed, “It’s the main reason all the Professors were whispering about you yesterday.”

“Whispering? What are you-”

“This,” Snape exclaimed, causing the whole room to quiet down, “Is your first potions class, and quite possibly your last.  Unlike the other classes, here you will learn about the subtle science and delicate art of potion making. Your first one is a “Cure For Boils” potion. I expect perfection.”

~~~

Joseph had never been so stressed about making a potion in his whole life. Despite the fact that it was usually a hobby for him and his family, making a potion in Snape’s class made him feel like an amateur at best, and it didn’t help that Merula was glaring at him the whole time.

Rowan and him, however, seemed to make the perfect team, and their potion came out just as it was described in the book.

“Hmph,” Snape sneered, “Maybe Thompson isn’t absolutely incompetent after all.”

“Oh, but Professor,” Merula smiled, “Take another look, I think it’s smoking.”

“What?” Joseph frowned, staring into the liquid that now started to bubble uncontrollably, “You didn’t add any bulbadox powder, right Rowan?”

“No!” Rowan whispered, “That’s supposed to cause an explosion, I would never-”

And then the cauldron burst.

~~~

After staying after and cleaning up the mess, Snape called Joseph over to his table, looking down at the boy who was now alone in his classroom. “Thompson,” He glared at him, “You should have never been allowed inside my classroom.”

“I’m sorry Professor,” Joseph frowned, “But you have to believe me, Merula must have-”

“I do not need to believe anything you say, especially when it comes to blaming others for your own incompetence. Ten points from Hufflepuff. Now leave.”

Joseph sighed, “Right. Sorry, Professor.”

 

As he walked out the door, he could've sworn he heard Snape mutter that he was just like his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a week but I've been obsessed with Odin Sphere recently and that's kind of been stealing all my time. Anyways! Thank you for reading, and leave a comment to let me know what you think!


	6. The Storeroom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseph is in for a small surprise when he gets a letter from Snape...

“You’ve already lost Hufflepuff ten points!?”

“To be fair, I also gained ten, so really it just cancels out.”

“Even still,” The Hufflepuff Prefect Jane Court began, looking down on Joseph, “Starting your relationship off with Professor Snape is not a good sign.” She looked away towards their common room fireplace, whispering to herself, “Considering who your brother was I should have kept a better eye on you.”

Joseph clenched his fists, “I am not my brother,” He growled, “And I can fix this easily.”

“Let’s see you prove it then,” Jane smiled, not quite reaching her eyes, “Snape already left a letter for you here.”

“Why not just send it directly to me?”

“Considering what happened today, he probably despises you. Try not to take it too personally, he doesn’t really like anyone.” She handed him the letter, “I suggest you read this immediately.”

Joseph tore open the letter quickly, unfolding it while Rowan approached him, “Hey Seph, did everything-”

“Sorry Rowan, not know,” Joseph interrupted, beginning to read the letter out loud, “Thompson, I have discovered evidence that your potion may have indeed been tampered with. While it does not prove your innocence, it does cast some doubt on my belief that you are hopelessly incompetent. Bring me a jar of pickled slugs from the storeroom I have listed directions to and I will consider restoring your house points.”

“Well, what are you waiting for,” Jane practically yelled, “Hurry to the storeroom before he changes his mind.”

“I’ll go with you Seph,” Rowan quickly added, “After all, it was my potion too.”

~~~

“This is kind of strange,” Rowan commented, standing outside the door the directions claimed was the potion storeroom, “I always thought it was located in the tapestry corridor.”

“Maybe there’s more than one?” Joseph added, folding the letter into his pocket.

“I suppose. But why put it in such a secluded area? There isn’t even any students in this hallway, let alone teachers.”

“Maybe the rare stuff is left here, to ensure no one steals it.”

“But then why would Snape ask-”

“Rowan, we don’t really have time to be questioning this. Let’s just go inside.”

 

Joseph pushed open the door slowly, considering it was heavier than it looked, and stepped inside. The place was pitch black, the only light coming from the door behind him that suddenly shut closed.

“Did you just close the door, Rowan?” Asked, slightly nervous from the moving he heard in front of him.

“No! And it won’t open! I think it’s locked!”

“Aw, and it’s just too bad neither of you know the unlocking charm.” A female voice called out from behind the door.

“Merula!?” Joseph yelled, joining Rowan who was messing with the handle, “You locked us in here!?”

“Along with sending you a fake letter from Snape. Hopefully the surprise those 4th years told me was in there will at least stop you from ruining Hogwarts.” 

Rowan banged on the door, “Merula! Come back!” Her footsteps growing farther and farther away, “Come on! Please!”

“Rowan?” Joseph whispered, “Do you hear that?”

As if surrounded by snakes inching closer, the sounds of slithering surrounded the two of them, followed by the quiet sound of what must have been whimpering coming closer and closer until-

“AH!” Rowan yelled, a small white rat bumping into his leg, “Aw, wait, it’s just a harmless rodent.” Rowan smiled picking it up off the ground.

“But why would Merula-” Suddenly something wrapped around Joseph’s leg, “AHH!” Joseph was pulled back, his face hitting the ground and snapping his glasses in half, he desperately pulled out his wand, casting “ **_Lumos!_ ** ” as he felt what must have been vines rip away at his uniform. It began to shrink away, giving Joseph enough time to stand before the thing wrapped around his waist.

“Devil’s Snare!” Rowan screamed, “Keep using Lumos on it! It’s sensitive to light!” He turned back towards the door, one hand holding the rat and the other banging against the wood, “Help! We’re trapped in here! Somebody help!”

Joseph kicked away at the moving vines on the ground, shoving his wand in every direction hoping it would stop the Devil’s Snare from pulling at his hair and clothes. “ **_Lumos!_ ** ” He cast again, growing fatigued from the constant magic drain. He tried tugging forward, making slight progress before the vines wrapped themselves around his throat. “ **_Lu_ ** ... **_mos_ ** …” He choked, trying to cast the spell again as his vision grew blurrier.

“What’s goin’ on in there?” A deep voice called out from outside, causing Rowan to jump back in surprise. An impossibly large man with a full beard than broke through the door, his eyes widening in shock when he saw what was happening, “Gulpin’ gargoyles, Hufflepuff! Get away from that Devil’s Snare! You’re scaring it!”

“I-I’m… wh..at?”

Hagrid grabbed him by his vest, pulling his from the Devil’s Snare in one quick motion and carrying him outside and into the crowded hall before letting him go. Rowan followed quickly behind, him and the rat watching in horror as a winded, dirty, and completely wrecked Joseph stumbled forward and into the wall, his already broken glasses nearly falling off his face. The slew of students nearby whispering to each other in shock. 

“It’s just like his brother!” One student yelled, followed quickly by three others.

“He’s mad! Just look at him!”

“Must have been searching for something dangerous just like the rest of his fool family.”

“They should have never let him attend Hogwarts!”

And then Joseph passed out.

~~~

He opened his eyes to the feeling of tiny feet running up and down his chest, sitting up to find the white rat from before playing on his bed in the Hospital Wing. He reached for his glasses, putting them on to see the world clear, but covered in cracks. He coughed.

“Seph!” Rowan smiled, “You’re awake!”

“Well,” He started, his voice raspy, “Sure seems like it.”

“Glad to have yeh back,” The large man from before smiled, standing on the opposite side of Joseph’s bed.

“You saved my life. Thank you, mister…”

“Rubeus Hagrid, at yer service. I’m the keeper of the keys and grounds. Pleased to meet yeh, Joseph.”

Joseph frowned, “You know who I am?”

“Of course! Yer the one everybody’s been talkin’ about. Speakin’ about trouble and the sort. How did you end up in that room anyway?”

“Merula Snyde,” Joseph growled, “She locked us in there.” Rowan nodded, looking down at his feet.

“She did!? What are yeh goin’ ter do?”

“I’m going to tell Dumbledore, he’ll have to do something.”

“I’m not so sure ‘bout that,” Hagrid frowned, “After all that’s been done today, it’s looking like yer following in yer brother’s footsteps.”

“But-”

“What I’d do is head back to yer common room to find time teh think, you’ve been here all night after all.”

“All night!? How?”

“Both magical and non-magical exhaustion,” Rowan cut in, “At least that’s what Madam Pomfrey said.”

Joseph paused, turning to face Rowan, “And you’ve been here all night?”

“Yep! Just me, Hagrid, and Aspen. Plus Ben for a few minutes. I think he got frightened.”

“Aspen?”

“My rat! You remember, we found him in the same room as the Devil’s Snare.”

Joseph laughed, “And you named him after the tree?”

~~~

The moment Rowan and him stepped back into their common room they were confronted by Jane, “What the bloody hell happened to you two!? I heard you were off getting attacked by plants rather than helping Snape.”

“The attacking plants were us trying to help Snape,” Joseph frowned, “It was all a setup. Merula wrote that letter to trick us.”

“Well you need to hurry to flying class then! If your early, maybe you can get some points by-”

“That’s enough Jane,” Professor Sprout interrupted, “The boy needs to get changed first.” She smiled, handing him a new pair of robes. “Hopefully these ones will also be more your size.” Before Joseph could respond, she pulled out her wand, casting reparo on his glasses, watching them piece themselves together again.

“Thank you.” Joseph muttered, slightly in shock.

“Of course, Joseph. I’m your head of house after all, not to mention a Hufflepuff. It’s my job to be kind.”

 

Joseph could only smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually really proud of this chapter for some reason, so I hope you all like it too! Tell me what you think or what I should do in the comments below.


	7. Flying Class

“Joseph!” Ben yelled, standing away from the crowd of students in the training grounds, waiting for class to begin, “I’m glad you’re okay. I thought you may have been given the wrong medicine and then had an allergic reaction which would slowly tear apart your insides and-”

“I think I get the picture Ben,” Joseph smiled, Rowan pulling up right beside the two of them, “Have you gotten over your fear of flying yet?”

“It doesn’t seem very likely,” Rowan muttered, earning a glare from Joseph.

“No, he’s right,” Ben frowned, “Coming from a Muggle family, the idea of sitting on a broom up in the air is… terrifying.”

“Believe it or not, I haven’t flown a broom before either,” Joseph shrugged, “My Mother had pretty strict rules about using magic at home, especially after Jacob left.”

“Don’t worry!” Rowan beamed, glancing between the two of them, “Flying isn’t too bad at all!” 

“You’ve done it before?”

“Yep! Back home, sometimes the brooms made from our wood get messed up, so they send the broken ones to us!”

“The broken ones?”

“Well, they’re not broken when there, just weak. We call them that because they tend to shatter mid-flight, so I never really get too far off the ground.”

“B-broom can s-shatter?” Ben stuttered, backing up into the nearest wall, “I-I don’t think I can do this…”

“You have nothing to fear of Mr. Copper,” Madam Hooch cut in, startling the three of them, “You will only be observing today.”

“W-well, I suppose I don’t have to be worried about flying if I never actually do it.”

“You just need to get used to the idea of flying,” Rowan smiled, “I have a few books you can borrow on the subject, if that helps.”

“I do like reading books, hardly anyone dies while reading them.” 

“And speaking of books, Seph, I really need to talk to you about-”   
“After class Mr. Khanna.” Madam Hooch interrupted, gesturing to the other students patiently waiting, “It’s already past time to begin.”

~~~

Joseph loved the idea of flying, but the execution seemed more trouble than it was worth, though that may have just been Ben’s fear getting to him. While the class was mostly all talk at the moment, he found himself looking more than listening, often staring a bit too long at the other kids' brooms, earning him a sneer from Merlua. From what he could tell, most of the other students had been on a broom before, and so while Madam Hooch informed them that in the next class they would be calling their brooms up, he was a bit more hesitant than excited. 

~~~

“What did you want to tell me, Rowan?” Joseph asked after class, strolling right up to his friend while the other students dispersed.

“Well,” Rowan began, looking around to make sure no one was listening, “While you were asleep-”

“Unconscious.”

“Right, that. I looked more into the Snyde family, to try and understand why she acts the way she does.”

“That’s great! Maybe then we could find something to make her confess!”

“Which could lead to us getting our house points back.”

“And people realizing I’m not mad. You’re amazing Rowan!”

“Really? Most people think I’m either a useless weakling or an awkward nerd. Or weird.”

“We’re both a little weird.”

“Well isn’t this precious?” Merula cooed, walking up to the two of them, “You’re looking unfortunately good Thompson, surprisingly so after dealing with the Devil’s Snare.”

“I don’t think that was as mean as you wanted it to be,” Rowan cut in.

“Whatever. While you were off snoozing-”

“Unconscious.” Joseph interrupted.

“Whatever you want to call it. I researched your brother.”

“Why don’t you just leave me alone?”

“Because you’re a danger to Hogwarts, just like your brother was! None of us will be safe until your gone!” Merula paused, suddenly smiling, “Then again, even if you did leave you’d probably end up working for Voldemort just like your brother is.”   


“You can’t say that!” Rowan yelled, looking around in sudden fear, “You have to call him He Who Must Not Be Named!”

“I can do what I want, after all, I’m not the one with family working for the Dark Lord.”   


“But you are!” Merula froze, shocked by what Rowan had practically screamed, “I did my own research, and both of your parents are in Azkaban for working with him. If anything Hogwarts should be worried that you-”   


“ **_Flipendo!_ ** ” Merula cast, launching Rowan backward.”Keep your mouth shut you twit!” Merula suddenly turned to Joseph, snarling, “You may as well drop out of this school while you have the chance. And take your stupid friend with you.”

Joseph rushed over to Rowan after watching Merula turn and begin to leave, helping to pull him up.   


“Merulas never going to leave us alone,” Rowan frowned, adjusting his glasses, “Is she?”

“No…” Joseph sighed, looking out onto the empty training grounds, “Not unless we fight back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took too long, but I've been interviewing and training for my new job so that took up a lot of my time, but the next update will be much faster! Thank you for reading, and tell me what you think in the comments!


	8. Time Moves Onward

The first few weeks of school went by about as smoothly as Joseph had expected considering how his first few days went, with most of the craziness that seemed to surround him when he arrived suddenly disappearing. Rowan argued that it may have been some crazy magical energy that was just used up, but Ben saw it as a calm before the storm, which scared him just as much as everything else did.

Merula still threatened the three of them daily, often finishing off with a quick spell to harm one of them, and Snape still glared at Joseph every chance he got. This, of course, was mixed together with the majority of the student body gossiping about him.

Despite all this, Joseph learned a ton in those weeks. He brewed potions that Snape had to deem adequate, which was practically praise, and he learned the levitation charm faster than anyone else. He used the spare time to try and help some blonde Gryffindor name Billingsley, but no matter how much he tried the boy never got it right. 

Even when in flying class, which Joseph was sure he was going to screw up, the broom always went up to his hand, while often Merula’s hit her right in the face.

That was probably his favorite part of class, if he was being honest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a quick time skip chapter, the real meat is chapter 9.


	9. Fighting Back

“Why do you think Jane wants to speak to us?” Rowan asked, sitting down on the Hufflepuff common room’s soft couch.

“Honestly,” Joseph began, falling back beside his friend, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Merula had somehow gotten us kicked out of our own house. Especially with what she's been telling everyone about my brother.”

“Do you want to talk about that?”

“Well, you already know about everything from the Daily Prophet. Jacob thought there were cursed vaults at school, he got expelled, and then he ran away from home. Merula lied about him working for He Who Must Not Be Named, but considering most people thought he unleashed curses on the school and on himself, it’s not that unbelievable.” Joseph sighed, rubbing a hand down his face, “Sometimes I wonder if he really is mad, or even if I am.”

“I don’t think your mad Seph! I think you’re brilliant, and I’m glad we’re friends.”

“Thanks, Rowan. I just wished there was more I could do to stop Merula.”

“And that’s exactly why I wanted to speak to you two,” Jane smiled, startling the two, “I’ve heard about Merula threatening the two of you.”

“Well, I mean, we did just say it.”

“I meant from gossip. Word travels fast around Hogwarts, faster if you’re a Prefect. And I wouldn’t be doing my job as one if I didn’t help our house defend themselves. I’m going to teach you both how to duel.”

“But that’s against school rules!” Rowan yelled, practically forcing Jane to cover his mouth with her hand.

“I’m quite aware, and that’s why we have to do this in secret. After all, house points are at stake.”

~~~

“How are we supposed to find a book if we don’t even know what it looks like?” Joseph asked, searching through one of the many cabinets in the artefact room.

“It probably says that it’s a dueling book on it?” Rowan shrugged, “At least, I hope so.”

“Why even bother checking here though? You think the library would have something."

  
“In the restricted section most likely. Dueling is banned at Hogwarts after all.”

Joseph sighed, standing on his toes to grab a box off the top of a nearby shelf before hearing a whisper in his ear.

“Rowan! Don’t try to scare me like that! I could've dropped this.”

“What do you mean?” Rowan asked, making Joseph fully aware that he was still on the other side of the room, “I don’t think I did anything.”

“Oh, well then it must have- AH!” Joseph cried, clutching his head in pain as the box in his hand dropped to the ground.

 

“ _Joseph…_ ” The same voice whispered, something forcing him to open his eyes and look around him. He was no longer in the artefact room, he was now in Hogwarts dining hall, ice forming around him and shattering the tables. It slowly grew in size, inching closer and closer while Joseph struggled to move. When he was finally able to run, the room changed itself, filling with mist that clouded the floor that slowly rose into a staircase. “ _The ice is here…”_ Joseph turned back towards the voice, the ice from before still following him as he quickly backed up the stairs. “ _The vault will open…_ ”

“I don’t understand!” Joseph screamed, “What do you want me to do!?” Without realizing it, Joseph stepped backward into someone, or something, else knocking himself onto the floor. When he looked up, a suit of armor stood above him, drawing its sword before-

 

“SEPH!” Rowan cried, shaking Joseph’s shoulders violently as tears began to form in his eyes, “Snap out of it!”

“Rowan? What happened? I was just-”

  
“You’re eyes rolled back into your head and you… you were starting to float off the ground! I had to pull you down. And then you started screaming that you didn’t understand and asking what you had to do and-”

“I saw something.” Joseph interrupted, his body still shaking slightly, “Ice covering the school, and a staircase with a suit of armor at the top.” Joseph paused looking at Rowan’s horrified face before sighing, “You probably think I’m mad now too…”

“I don’t think your mad Seph,” Rowan smiled, calming down slightly, “But I do wonder if your brother had these same visions.”

“Me too. But we shouldn’t focus on that now, we still need to find that dueling book.”

“No need.” Rowan began, picking up the box Joseph had left on the ground, “It seems like you already did. Although it’s not in as good condition as I would have hopped…”

Joseph frowned, looking at the book Rowan had in his hands and taking note of how destroyed it was, most of the pages missing leaving it with a cover three times the size needed for the amount of pages within.

“Well,” He shrugged, “It will have to do. Let's go grab some lunch.”

~~~

The sandwiches weren’t half bad, a bit large for sure and strangely perfect in the way they were cut, but tasty nonetheless. What bothered Joseph was Rowan, who sat in front of him and had been barely touching his food the whole time. He swallowed the piece of sandwich he had in his mouth, adjusting his glasses and looking over at him for a few seconds before speaking.

“Are you okay, Rowan?”

“Are you? I’m a bit worried you’re in shock. I mean, with the vision-”

“Don’t say that here,” Joseph hissed, leaning closer to Rowan, “Merula’s already told everyone I’m mad, and we shouldn’t give them any more reason to believe her.”

“But, I mean, have you had visions before?”

“Well…” Joseph sighed, looking at his feet, “I’ve heard… voices.”

“About what?”

“Hogwarts mostly. And just something happening here.”

“What do you think it is?”

“A warning? Or maybe a clue?” Joseph frowned, picking up his sandwich again, “I’m not really comfortable talking about this, can we just focus on Merula?”

“Sure,” Rowan smiled, “I’m sure with my knowledge and your skill, figuring out what the vision means shouldn’t be too hard anyway.”

Joseph smiled, leaning over to look at the book on the table, “What spell do you think we should learn?”

“Well there isn’t very much available, from what I can tell only a few spells and a bit of history survived whatever tore this book apart. But maybe the tickling charm could work?”  
“The tickling charm? Really?”

“It practically stuns opponents! Plus it’s the first spell in here, so it probably isn’t too complicated either. Not to mention that there are countless cases of wizards that have been saved by tickling.”

~~~

“ **_Rictusempra!_ ** ” Joseph cast, blasting Rowan with what seemed to be a flurry of sparkles. Almost instantly, he started twitching his body around, trying to block out the magic that was tickling his skin.

“HA-HA-HA! I can’t- HA! Stop laughing!” A small tear fell out of Rowan’s eye, “It hurts- HA-HA! So bad!”

“I’m sorry Rowan!” Joseph cried, trying to calm down his friend who was now flailing around the Hufflepuff Common Room.

“Don’t be- HA! Sorry. This will all be- HA-HA! Worth it when you use- HA! This and we see the- HA! Look on Merula’s HA-HA-HA! Face!”

After a few more laughs and some rest on the nearest couch, Rowan pulled back out the dueling book, flipping through it quickly before stopping on one half-torn page.

“I forgot to show you earlier,” Rowan began, “But the best part about this book is the history section. Look, it’s Professor Flitwick!”

Joseph grabbed the book from Rowan’s hands, carefully reading the paragraph he had pointed to, “He used to be a dueling champion! Rowan this is perfect!”

“I know! All you need to do is talk to him when he’s alone and… wait.”

“What is it?”

“Well, with winter break coming up there isn’t really a chance to. During then would be perfect because there’ll be less kids but you’ll be-”

“Here.” Joseph interrupted, “I’ll still be here.”

“But what about your parents?”

“I… don’t really want to see them. Especially after the whole… Hufflepuff sorting?”

“Are they mad at you for it?”

“Well… they kind of don’t know?”

“You haven’t told them!?”

“And I won’t until I have to. So I guess this summer.”

“Well,” Rowan shrugged, smiling slightly in reassurance, “At least with Merula gone that gives you more time to practice.”

“Not to mention talk to Flitwick.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters at once! Then again, one is barely anything, but I felt it had to be done. Hopefully you guys look forward to the Christmas chapter next, I got some fun things planned.


	10. A Bit of Help

Christmas at Hogwarts was… quiet. Well, at least as quiet as Hogwarts can be, which is still probably considered loud by most. The dining hall was decorated with an almost impossibly tall Christmas tree and the candles floating by seemed more jolly somehow, if that was even possible. But mostly, it was just empty, the majority of students going home for the break. The only students left who stood out was a couple ginger Gryffindors, Billingsley, and of course-

“Joseph.”

Jane.

“Yes?” Joseph asked, his mouth half full of what he thought was turkey, but after tasting it he wasn’t so sure, “Do you need anything?”

“What I need is you to cheer up,” She sighed, combing her short hair with her fingers, “You’re one of the few Hufflepuff’s here during the break and… well…”

“What?”

“You’re not exactly, well, Hufflepuff-like.”

Joseph tightened his grip on the silverware in is hand, staring so hard at his plate he thought it might break. “What do I do, then?”

“I was hoping you would ask that!” Jane smiled, pulling out a small wrapped box and handing it to him, “Gifts!”

“Gifts?”

“Hufflepuffs are known for their kindness, and what better way to show it then giving people presents? Don’t answer that. Just… I don’t know, try to give the professors something at least.”

Jane turned on her heel and walked out of the hall, making sure to wish a happy Christmas to everyone she passed before giving Joseph one last look as she passed through the door. Joseph tore open the wrapping on the box, pulling out a small, possibly handmade, weaved leather bracelet.

~~~

Joseph wished there was a spell for wrapping gifts, and if there was one he wished he knew it, because the atrocities that laid before him on his bed were possibly the worst looking gifts of all time. After the fourth time rewrapping he decided that it wasn’t worth it, and what was inside would just have to hold its own. He thought the gifts were good enough to do that at least, fancy buttons made from transfiguring beetles for McGonagall, mini seed and treat pouches for Sprout and Kettleburn, and an admittedly shabby looking “Dueling Champion” button Joseph made for Flitwick, and-

Well, he didn’t have anything for Snape yet.

As he set the gifts below his bed for protection he heard loud banging coming from the common room, as well as a scream from one of the few Hufflepuffs still at school, before the door burst open and something slammed into the bed next to him and slid under the bed behind it. Carefully, Joseph withdrew his wand and slowly inched closer to the other bed, casting **_Lumos!_ ** and pulling up the bed skirt only to be met face to face a white-faced scops owl holding a letter and small sack in its beak. It shook itself once, a few feathers falling off of it as Joseph looked at its one blind eye.

“Ezyl?”

The bird let out a hoot and flew straight into Joseph's chest, dropping the items it was carrying in the process. Joseph laughed.

“Alright, calm down Ezyl! I have to grab whatever you brought me.”

Ezyl flew itself onto Joseph’s shoulder, taking a few tries to land properly due to poor vision, as it tried to communicate in some way that it was happy to see him. Laughing, Joseph pulled out a letter and small sack from under the bed, taking a moment to stare at his family’s crest which had been printed on both. With slight hesitation, he opened the letter, reading it as Ezyl leaned against his head and slightly pushed up his glasses.

~~~

Joseph,

We were sad to hear that you would not be joining us back in Falmouth for the holidays, but after some discussion we believe we understand how you must feel. Surely your friends want you there, as well as your professors if your grades are as good as we hope, and what kind of people would we be to take you from them?

How do you like Slytherin so far? If Hogwarts is still anything like it was when we went, then your head of house and prefects are most likely stricter than you may want, but they are just looking out for you, even when it seems that all they do is lecture. Remember to wear your warm socks! The common room gets rather cold under the water.

I must get back to work soon, but your father and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and that this little gift of ours will remind you of home. Make sure you make the best of it! They’re very rare after all.

Your loving parents,

Ella and Gregor Thompson

P.S. Hold onto Ezyl for a while won’t you? He's been rather restless lately.

~~~

Joseph set down the letter next to his bed, reading over the word “Slytherin” as many times as he could before the paper was out of his view. He rubbed the top of Ezyl’s head with his knuckles, giving him a slight tap after to signal him to turn his head around. While his head spun, Joseph opened up the small sack, pulling out the items inside and listing them off to himself.

“Adder’s fork, niffler’s fancy, re’en blood and… dragon blood!? Blimey, this must have cost a fortune,” Ezyl tapped on his head, “unless… dad took it from the shipments! Bloody hell, he could lose his contacts if they realize there’s some missing.”

A sudden knock came from the door, making Joseph look up quickly as he stuffed the ingredients back into the sack.

“I'm not interrupting anything am I?” Jane asked, walking towards Joseph as he pushed himself up from the floor, “Some other students told me an owl flew in here, and I figured that if anyone owned one that disruptive it would be you.” She pointed at Ezyl. “Looks like I was right.”

“Yeah, sorry, about that. My parents were just sending me a letter.”

“That's… good. They're taking the news of your sorting well?”

Joseph froze for a second before quickly recomposing himself. “Sure they are, at least, as well as they can.”

Jane frowned, “Joseph,” she sighed and sat down on his bed, patting the space next to her a few times until he sat down, “Listen, I think we need to talk.”

“About?”

“Well, everything. I know that things haven't been going very well for you since you've gotten here. Merula has been picking on you, most people think you're mad, and Snape has been out for your blood before you even walked into the main hall.”

“Wow, you must be really good at cheering people up.”

“Let me finish. I know we didn't get off on the best start, and because of that you might not like me very much, and I can respect that even if I don't like it. But Joseph, I…” She sighed, “I understand what it's like to feel lonely. And I want to help you as best I can, which is why I'm trying to push you to be more Hufflepuff like and more importantly why I'm putting so much faith in you. I am trusting you to duel Merula in secret and win because I want you to fight against her threats, and if you get caught I don't know how much damage it could do to you or Hufflepuff as a whole. What I'm trying to tell you is that I need to know I’m putting my trust in the right person. So tell me the truth, will you be careful and make sure you do not get caught?”

Joseph sighed, turning his head away from Jane and out the nearby window for a few moments. When he finally turned back, he nodded, “Yes.”

Jane beamed, “Perfect, then I guess you better get ready.”

“What do you mean?”

“Flitwick is meeting you in the clocktower courtyard. Tonight.”

~~~

The clocktower courtyard was incredibly beautiful at night, with so many stars in the sky that seeing was basically not a problem. While it was almost freezing due to the snow, the Hufflepuff scarf Sprout had given him as thanks for his gift helped warm him up a bit as he sat by the now frozen fountain.

“What can I do for you Mr. Thompson?” Flitwick asked, pulling out his wand and casting “ **_Incendio!_ ** ” on a small pile of wood he had carried out with him, “Your prefect said you wished to speak with me?”

“I just have a question, professor,” Joseph began, moving closer to the fire Flitwick started, “Is it true you were a dueling champion before coming to Hogwarts?”

“It’s true. I can stupefy and protego with the best of them. I even have a shelf full of trophies to boot.”

“Would you be able to teach me some of those spells, professor?”

“The Hogwarts curriculum includes many defensive spells Mr. Thompson.”

“I need more… advanced instruction.”

“Hmm,” Flitwick paused, adjusting his coat slightly, “Tell me, why do you want to duel?”

“I don’t professor,” Joseph lied, “I have to. The other students they… some of them don’t think that letting me attend Hogwarts was the best decision.”

Flitwick sighed, “I was afraid things might be difficult for you here considering your brother’s reputation…” They both stood in silence for a few moments, “I will teach you one spell. The dueler’s most important spell. Expelliarmus. It is intended to disarm your opponent without causing them injury.”

“Thank you professor! I-”

“But I need you to promise me. Promise me you will only duel if you have no other choice.”

“I-” Joseph sighed, “I can’t promise you that.”

The two of them stood next to the fire for what felt like hours, neither saying anything as cold winds blew against the castle.

“I believe you have great potential Joseph. Dueling on school grounds is against the rules, and if you break them I will be forced to recommend your expulsion,” Joseph nodded, staring into the flames, “That being said, let's begin.”

Flitwick readied his wand, aiming it quickly at Joseph and casting “ **_Expelliarmus!_ ** ” as soon as Joseph had taken out his. He jumped back in shock, staring at his empty hand before slowly turning his head towards Flitwick.

“Well,” Flitwick smiled, gesturing behind Joseph, “Are you going to go get it or not?”

~~~

“Expelliarmus,” Joseph whispered, pacing the dungeon hallway and moving his arm the way Flitwick had shown him, “Expelliarmus, expelliarmus, expelliARMus, expelli-”

“What on earth are you doing, Thompson?”

Joseph jumped back, turning around and shoving his wand behind him as if Snape hadn't already seen it.

“I'm just practicing my charms professor,” Joseph answered quickly, “I want to make sure I'm ready for the first lesson after break.”

“You're a terrible liar, Thompson, though I suppose a Hufflepuff would be,” Snape glared at him, “I suppose you think you can get away with dueling on school grounds, considering what _charms_ you're practicing.”

“I-” Joseph placed his wand back into his robes, looking down at his shoes nervously, “I'm scared professor.”

Snape moved back slightly in surprise, almost instantly composing himself after the second of shock.

“It's just…” Joseph sighed, “I know you've probably already heard the rumors about my brother and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and… and I know it’s not true but if it is then Volde- I mean, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named could come for me next and I just-”

Snape raised his hand up coldly, stopping Joseph right in his tracks and staring down at him for a few seconds.

“Lean forward when you cast.”

“What?”

“If you want your spells to be stronger, you need to put everything into them. It may seem like adjusting your body does little, but it can be the difference between life or death.”

Joseph smiled, “Thank you professor, I-”

“Not a word of this to anyone Thompson, or I will personally see you flung off the astronomy tower.”

“Right,” Joseph frowned, “But before I forget, I do have this for you, sir.” He dug his hand into his cloak pocket, pulling out the sack his parents had sent him before handing it over to Snape. “Happy Christmas, professor.”

Joseph glanced nervously at Snape once the gift was in his hands, taking off towards the Hufflepuff common room immediately after. Though he didn’t see it, and doubted it would ever happen, Joseph liked to imagine that Snape smiled.

~~~

Despite the number of students still at school during the break, the Christmas Eve feast was as extravagant and over the top as everything else at Hogwarts. The ghosts were all dancing, besides Peeves who was trying to trip them, the candles floating around were doubled, and the amount of food laid out on every table was overwhelming. Naturally all of the students wanted to dig in, but before anyone could Dumbledore stood up.

“I do not wish to take up too much of your time,” He began, “I simply want to wish you all a Happy Christmas, and truly hope that all go to bed tonight with full stomachs and warm thoughts. During this time of year, many of us may not have family’s to go back to, or they simply may choose to stay here longer than necessary, but you are all part of the Hogwarts family, and as family should, gifts must be exchanged.”

With one motion of his hand, Dumbledore let small wrapped gifts descend in front of each student, landing softly on their plates before being torn open. Most of them were candy, or a Famous Witches and Wizards Card, but Joseph’s just had one key. When he looked up at Dumbledore after opening it, he simply smiled, adjusted his hat, and sat behind the high table. When Joseph turned back to his plate, two more items had descended onto it, a normal white letter, and a howler. He decided to start with the normal one, which ended up being from Ben, and despite most of it being a ramble on how worried he was that the letter would be lost or stolen, the rest was rather sweet.

The howler, however, was a different story, and the second Joseph touched it to take it back to his room and listen to it in private, it started screaming.

“HI SEPH!” The howler yelled, sounding like Rowan only much, much louder, “SORRY ABOUT SENDING A HOWLER BUT WE RAN OUT OF NORMAL PAPER AND I WANTED TO WISH YOU A HAPPY HOLIDAYS ANYWAY! I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR CHRISTMAS! SEE YOU SOON!”

And then it burst into flames.

~~~

Christmas morning in the Hufflepuff common room consisted of hot chocolate, a small fire, and Joseph standing next to the door as far away from everyone else as possible. It was partially due to no one else really wanting him there, but mostly due to him knowing he wasn't really going to get anything so there wasn't much point in taking up space where other people gifts could be.

But just like everything else that had happened during that break, Joseph was surprised.

“This was left for you,” Sprout smiled, handing over a carefully wrapped package tied with a bright red bow, “Although there was no name attached to it, so who it's from I'm not sure.”

“Thank you, professor,” Joseph began, taking the gift from her, “but I'm not exactly sure who else would want to send me anything.”

“Well, maybe try to think a bit outside the box. After all, just like receiving them, giving gifts doesn't need to be entirely logical.”

Joseph nodded slowly, watching as Sprout walked back towards the other students still excitedly opening their gifts.

“You know, the professors aren't always as deep as they think they are.”

“Holy- Jane, you scared me.”

“I mean, with Dumbledore's speech yesterday and that little Sprout speech now I'm getting less confident that always know what they're doing.”

“As a prefect should you really be talking about them like this?”

“As a prefect I'm the only one who _can_!” Jane smiled, elbowing Joseph in the side playfully, “Now come on, open it.”

“Oh! Right.”

Joseph carefully pulled away the wrapping, setting it down on a nearby table as he slowly uncovered the fabric underneath. He pulled it out slowly, turning over what he now realized was a cloak in his hand before looking at what was left underneath it. A new sweater vest, tie, and scarf which looked a bit hastily made, as if the person knitting had a deadline. All of it was in black and green.

He pressed the uniform against his chest and smiled. He finally had Slytherin robes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer than most because I had so much I wanted to stuff in there before the real fight begins. Btw I personally believe Howlers are just made from a special paper rather than a charm, and since it's never said in canon whether that's true or not I'm just going to treat it like it is.
> 
> Don't forget to comment your thoughts below!


	11. The Duel

“Seph! You need to come quick!” Rowan yelled, grabbing Joseph by the arm and pulling him out of their common room.

“It’s nice to see you too, Rowan,” Joseph muttered trying to keep up with Rowan’s speed to ensure his arm didn’t get pulled off, “It’s the first day back, what could possibly be happening?”

“Ben’s what’s happening!”   
“I’m sure he would appreciate you saying that.”

“I mean that Merula is picking on him! In front of half the school!”   
“She’s doing what!?” Joseph growled, pulling his wand out as they approached the clock tower courtyard, “She’s back at school for five minutes and already causing trouble.”

  
When they did pull into the courtyard Joseph saw that Rowan wasn’t exaggerating when he said that half the school was there, crowding around Merula and Ben who were facing one another.

“You’re an embarrassment to everyone in our year!” Merula yelled, pushing Ben in the chest.

“Just leave me alone!” Ben cried, trying to back out into the crowd of students.

“Filthy Mudbloods like you shouldn’t even be allowed in Hogwarts.”

“If you want to fight someone,” Joseph began, shielding Ben with his body, “Then fight me.”

“Seph!” Rowan whispered, “What are you?”

“Trust me Rowan, and get Ben out of here.”

Rowan sighed and nodded pulling Ben into the crowd with him as Joseph aimed his wand forward.

“Why don’t you be more like your missing brother and disappear!?”

“You’re the one everyone wishes would go away!”

“Make me then, you fat freak.”

“ **_Flipendo!_ ** ”

Merlua flew backwards, crashing into the ground as she quickly withdrew her wand from inside her robes.

“You’ll pay for that Thompson!  **_Flipendo!_ ** ”

Joseph flipped backwards, barely landing on his feet and only staying upright due to another student pushing him forward.

“ **_Rictusempra!_ ** ” He quickly cast, Merula grabbing her sides as she laughed in pain, Joseph lowered his wand slightly, looking over towards Rowan and Ben to make sure they were safe when suddenly glass shattered at his feet. A green odor rose out, making him cough so hard he could hardly breathe.

“That’s what you get, Thompson,” Merula growled, watching Joseph stumble away from the smoke and stand by the fountain, “You’ll never-”

“ **_Wingardium Leviosa!_ ** ” Joseph cast, suddenly lifting Merula slightly above the ground.

“What in bloody hell are you-”

“ **_Expelliarmus!_ ** ” Merula’s wand went flying from her hand, landing in the crowd of students who quickly moved out of the way so that everyone could see it lying there. “I won Merula,” Joseph smiled, “Now apologize to Ben and stop bullying everyone.”

“I’ll never apologize to Mudbloods and losers like you!” She hissed, landing softly on the ground, “I’m Merula Snyde, a 4th generation Slytherin, and you couldn’t even stay within your family’s house! I don’t have to listen to-”

“Ahem.” Snape frowned, walking behind Merula with Professor Flitwick who was wearing the handmade pin Joseph had given him.

“P-professor Snape!” Merula stumbled, stepping away from the two quickly.

“I assume this is your fault Thompson,” Snape sneered, “You are aware of Hogwarts rules about dueling on school grounds.”

“Yes Professor,” Joseph sighed.

“Mr. Thompson,” Flitwick frowned, staring at Joseph sadly, “Did you cast the first spell in this duel.”

Joseph stared at his feet, “Yes, Professor.”

“I see,” Flitwick swallowed, truing towards Snape, “Snape, I assume you will handle the punishment, one of the students involved is in your house after all.”

“Clear yourself up Thompson,” Snape began, ignoring Flitwick, “Then meet me in the west towers to face the consequences of your actions.”

~~~

The west towers were as crowded as usual, with most students studying with others or trying to pronounce their spells correctly. It seemed to only make sense that Snape had chosen it as the place to deliver their punishment, since it would probably be one of the best places to publicly embarrass the two of them. With his head down and his robes still slightly messy, Joseph approached Snape and Merlua, who were standing completely in silence next to each other as they watched him approach.

“Now that Mr. Thompson has finally arrived, we can discuss your punishment.” Snape began, glaring at the two students.

“I had nothing to do with it Professor,” Merula interjected, smiling to herself, “Joseph attacked me first out of nowhere, I was just defending myself.”

“I am quite aware Miss. Snyde,” Snape turned his full attention to Joseph, “You have fought in the corridors, ruined school equipment, and dueled on school grounds in your very short time here Thompson, not to mention everything your brother did,” Joseph’s hands curled into fists, “Give me one reason as to why I shouldn’t have you expelled.”

“Because I was doing what was right,” Joseph began, finally looking directly at Snape, “Merula has been bullying my friends and I, not to mention other students, since the second she stepped foot in this school. The only reason I dueled her in the first place was to defend Ben, which seems like a good enough reason to me on its own. If anyone should be expelled,” Joseph turned to face Merlua, “It should be her.”

Time seemed to sit still between them, all glancing towards each other before Snape finally spoke, “40 points from Hufflepuff. 20 for dueling on school grounds, and the other 20 for talking back.”

“But-”

“You should be thankful Thompson,” Snape sneered, “The illogical Headmaster believes that expulsion is unfair in this case. With that being said, if you two are ever caught dueling on school grounds again he may not be so kind.”

“Merula leaned in close to Joseph, whispering so Snape couldn’t hear her, “I told you not to mess with me, Thompson. If I ever-”

“Miss Snyde,” Snape interrupted, startling both of them, “Return to the Slytherin common room immediately to wait for your punishment. I have a few words to say to Thompson.”

“Of course Professor.” 

After watching Merula walk away, Snape continued to glare at Joseph, who slowly but surely worked up his courage to stare directly back. After what felt like hours, Joseph finally broke the silence, “What is it you wanted to say to me, Sir?”

Snape scanned him up and down, “It seems I was wrong about you before, Thompson.” Snape turned quickly letting his cloak sink down behind him, “You are an exceptional liar.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooh looks like Joseph managed to lose everyone's trust in this chapter! (Besides Rowan and Ben, of course) I know Penny is supposed to come in before Snape punishes MC, but for what I have planned to happen next it just makes sense for her to appear then, so don't worry! She is on her way.
> 
> Tell me what you loved, hated, or keysmash in the comments! Thank you for reading!


	12. House Meeting

Joseph had avoided Jane for a whole week, and considering the fact that he not only lived in the same space as her but that she had also tried to approach him multiple times made that surprisingly impressive. If Joseph had it his way, he’d probably avoid her for the rest of his life, but Rowan had other plans.

“No,” Joseph insisted, shaking his head, “Absolutely not. I refuse.”

“Come on Seph!” Rowan beamed, “Think about it, you want to win over the other Hufflepuffs right?”

“Not really.”

“Don’t lie. The only way you’re going to do that is if you prove that you are one.”

“But I’m not.” Joseph frowned, “I’m probably the worst Hufflepuff in the history of this school!”

“No, that would be-”

“Don’t deny it Rowan, the sorting had said it itself. I would have been perfect in Slytherin.”

“But you’re not!” Rowan yelled, quickly becoming embarrassed and lowering his voice, “Like it or not, you’re in this house now. We can’t change that.”

Joseph played with the leather bracelet around his wrist, sighing as he tried to put together an argument in his mind. Finally, he looked up, “Okay Rowan, I’ll go.”

~~~

In theory, house meetings were supposed to be the whole community of Hufflepuffs coming together to solve… something, but in this case it felt more like every single one of his housemates were coming together to unanimously despise him. So despite the many times Jane continued to attempt to bring up the issue of Sprouts unacceptable amount of work, everyone else just interrupted her.

“Is there a reason he’s here?” A 5th year asked, gesturing towards Joseph, “Last I checked he lost us 40 house points and plummeted us into last place.”

“Well, he-” Jane began, quickly interrupted by Rowan.

“Last I checked, you lost us ten house points for stepping on Filch’s shoe, so you shouldn’t be complaining.”

“That’s just a 4th of the points your stupid friend lost us.”

“But with them we would at least be in 3rd.”

“Who cares about our ranking!?” A 2nd year yelled, “He has Slytherin robes in his room! He shouldn’t even be in this house!”

“The sorting hat picked Hufflepuff!” Rowan responded, more agitated, “Just because you don’t agree doesn’t change the fact that Seph is meant to be in this house.”

“But with-”

“That is enough!” Jane yelled, silencing the whole room, “Our meeting today has nothing to do with Joseph or whether or not he deserves to be here. I have been trying to get us all on subject, but clearly no one wants to be, so before I send everyone back to their rooms, does anyone have any idea as to how we can help Sprout with her work?”

Everyone stood still for a few moments, glancing at each other in mutual embarrassment. Finally, Joseph raised his hand.

“Alright. Joseph. What do we propose we do?”

“Well,” He began, trying to ignore the number of people glaring at him, “Most of Sprouts work is important, and is only something she could do, but cleaning is easy. Especially with magic and a group as big as ours. We could do all the cleaning after herbology and save her time.”

Jane smiled for a moment before quickly before wiping all emotion from her face, “Is that good with everyone?” She asked, scanning the room as the other Hufflepuffs nodded in approval, “Great,” She relaxed, looking back towards Joseph, “We may make you a Hufflepuff yet.”

~~~

Joseph waited until everyone had left the common room to stand up from the couch, even outlasting Rowan, who while not particularly patient was willing to do anything to keep him company. He quickly made his way over to the entrance, pulling open the door and stepping into the dark kitchen corridor before walking out into the dungeon hallway. He could hear footsteps coming from the stairs closest to him, so he quickly pressed himself against the wall closest to him hoping they would simply pass by. But that was not the case.

“Jacob Martinez?” A girl asked, the laughing next to her quickly stopping.

“You mean the mad boy?” Another voice asked, “He’s here?”

“Liz don’t be rude,” The girl glared at her friend who had a… pumpkin head? “My name is Penny Haywood. I’m a Hufflepuff too, and-”

“I know who you are,” Joseph interrupted, “I mean, you’re the most popular first year in the school.”

“And you just so happen to be the second.”

“What do you mean? It seems like everyone’s just angry at me right now.”

“I’d disagree. Everyone is talking about the hero who stood up to Merula Snyde,” Penny smiled, “What are you doing out here now anyway? You know it’s past curfew.”

“I was going to practice spells in the courtyard.”

“Dueling spells you mean? That’s incredible determination!”

“If you say so,” Joseph chuckled, “What are you doing?”

“I was seeing if I could brew a Pompion Potion,” She shrugged, gesturing towards Liz who was currently knocking against her own pumpkin head, “It should wear off soon, so I’m just leading her back to the Slytherin common room till her eyesight comes back.”

“Well, that’s kind of you.”

“That’s the secret to being popular Joseph, you just have to be kind,” She glanced back into the hallway, “Liz and I should really get going, but let me know if you need anything. I know all the Hogwarts gossip, and I’m pretty good at potions too. Though I hear you’re not too shabby yourself.”

“Alright,” Joseph smiled, “I will.”

Penny waved goodbye, leading Liz down the hall as they both messed around with her pumpkin head. Happier that he had been in a while, Joseph sneaked his way to the main hall, deciding that even if things were going wrong before, they could only get better now.

And then he crashed into Merula Snyde.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter and it has been too long but I just started college and am trying to balance everything at once and am... mostly succeeding. I'll try to write as much as I can, and hope to have another chapter up as soon as possible. We're getting into the good stuff now! 
> 
> And don't forget to comment!


	13. The Corridor

Joseph was not happy to have ended up face to face with Merula Snyde of all people, and she was clearly feeling the same way.

“What are you doing out here, Merlua?” Joseph questioned, his hand hovering above where his wand was.

“I could ask you the same thing Thompson,” She growled, her eyes widening for a moment before pulling him behind a statue and muttering, “Bloody hell.”

“What do you-” Joseph began before Merula covered his mouth with her hand, the distant sounds of footsteps getting closer and closer.

“Who else knows about this, Filch?” Snape asked, walking closer to where Joseph and Merula were hiding.

“No one sir. Only me and Mrs. Norris saw the ice. Was going to tell the Headmaster, I was.” Filch replied, his cat Mrs. Norris meowing once in confirmation.

“Take me there at once.”

After watching the two men walk farther down the hallway before entering a small side door the two students emerged from behind the statue, Merula immediately taking off towards the door. Joseph stood back stunned for a few moments before chasing after her.

“What do you think you’re doing!?” He half whispered half yelled.

“Finding out whether or not this is about the cursed vaults.” She shrugged, tilting up her nose in arrogance.

“Since when have you been interested in the cursed vaults?”

“None of your business, Thompson.”

Merula slowly pushed open the door, glaring at Joseph and shushing him silently before leading the two of them into the shadows. The room itself was strange to say the least. It was structured more like a corridor, but there was only one other door attached to it on a far-off wall. But the wall being that far off didn’t make sense either, since there wouldn’t be enough space in that section of the castle to accommodate a room of that size.

While trying to wrap his head around the whereabouts of the corridor, the far-off door opened, letting both Snape and Filch walk out. For a second it seemed as if the open door was beckoning him to come closer, but that went away as soon as the door was closed and Snape locked it.

“I will inform the Headmaster of this myself. It may have something to do with the… Thompson situation.” Snape mused, double checking that the door wouldn’t open.

“Is it true what they say about the vaults?” Filch asked, petting Mrs. Norris, “That they’re filled with prophecies and artifacts from before Hogwarts existed? And that’s why the Thompson boy lost his mind trying to find them?”

“Don’t worry about what’s inside the vaults. Worry about keeping everyone out. Add guarding this door to your list of caretaking duties immediately.”

Joseph tapped Merula on the shoulder, “We should go.”

Merula huffed, “As if I’m going to miss out on learning-”

“You hear that?” Filch muttered, “I think someone’s listening.”

And then they started running

~~~

Joseph’s legs felt like they were on fire. He had never ran so fast in his life, and with Merula, Snape, Filch, and a very angry Mrs. Norris right behind him, he was sure he had never been so scared either. Nevertheless his feet flew by on the ground and his hood threatened to fall back and reveal his identity at any second. Binding charms flew past his head left and right as Snape cast them, his final shout of “ ** _Petrificus Totalus!_** ” leading to a large thud behind him.

Turning around for just a second, Joseph saw Merula face down on the ground, still unidentified by Snape and Filch who were quickly approaching.

“Dammit,” He muttered to himself before grabbing Merula’s frozen body by the shoulders, dragging her behind him before quickly running towards the Grand Staircase and hopping onto some moving steps.

He looked back towards Filch and Snape, both of who glared so strongly at him he was worried it’d kill him. He pulled Merula up the steps while they turned, doing his best to speed away so he could run down a few more hallways before the two adults could catch him.

He entered a hallway on the nearest floor, turning down a few corners to get the adults off his tail before he bumped into someone else. Looking up he found himself face to face with a Ravenclaw Prefect badge, and an angry Chester Davies looking down at him. He wasn’t sure if the day could get any worse.

“What do you think you’re-”

“Please,” Joseph interrupted, pulling Merula up next to him and showing him her petrified state, “You have to help! We were attacked!”

“Attacked?”

“Yes,” He lied, “By a 7th year! He said he was going to… to-”

“Say no more,” Chester began, pulling out his wand, “I’ll take care of them. Wait right here.”

“Thank you, thank you so much.”

He watched Chester run back the way he had just come from, casting protective charms on himself while watching out for any rogue students. After waiting a few moments Joseph took off running again, twisting down hallways before reaching a small, clearly ignored corner of the school. He set Merula behind a nearby statue, standing her up and keeping her out of view.

“Okay,” He began, out of breath, “I’m going back to my common room. You’re staying here.”

Despite the fact that Merula couldn’t move a muscle he could practically hear her complaints.

“No, I am not going to drag you back. The spell should wear off by morning. At least, that’s what Rowan told me.”

Merula still didn’t move.

“Oh don’t look at me like that,” Joseph groaned, “We’re not even friends! You’re just lucky I helped you in the first place.”

She stayed still.

“I don’t need to take this from you,” Joseph huffed, turning to leave, “Good luck getting back on your own.”

Walking down the hallway, making sure to be as quiet as possible, Joseph replayed the conversation between Filch and Snape in his mind. The vaults, the ice, the Thompson situation, but mostly the door. Slightly open, a cold wind coming out, foreboding and yet begging him to come closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting into the main mystery stuff now! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and make sure to comment below! I'd love to hear what you thought.


	14. Planning Ahead

The Great Hall was usually quieter in the mornings, but today was an exception. Every student was questioning each other about what Dumbledore’s “important announcement” was supposed to be, and while Joseph walked over to his usual spot next to Rowan he tried to convince himself that it wasn't what he assumed.

“You’re late,” Rowan said, watching Joseph sit down.

“Actually, you’re just early,” Joseph frowned, glancing over at Dumbledore who was talking with Snape at the Head table.

“Are you okay? I figured you’d be excited to hear the announcement Dumbledore is about to give.”

“Depends on what it is.”

“Well, historically when a Headmaster gives a speech in the morning it’s about a tragic event, or a punishment of some sort.”

“And you thought I’d be happy about that?”

Rowan shrugged, “I just assumed you wouldn’t be aware it was probably bad.”

“Listen Rowan,” Joseph began, lowering his voice, “I need to tell-”

“Attention students,” Dumbledore interrupted, silencing everyone in the room, “It has come to my attention that two students, a Hufflepuff and a Slytherin, were seen roaming the halls past curfew. Not only that, but they ran when confronted and even lied to a Prefect about a potential threat. Unfortunately, I am unaware as to which students were specifically involved, but I will be removing 20 house points from both houses nonetheless. That is all.”

Every Slytherin groaned in annoyance, trying to voice their objections to no one in particular. Meanwhile, every Hufflepuff turned to glare at Joseph, either sensing his guilt or just randomly blaming him outright. He was about to get up and leave when he heard Rowan begin to talk.

“You have no evidence to suggest it was him,” Rowan yelled, “It wasn’t! It makes no logical sense for it to have been and just because you-”

“Rowan.” He muttered.

“-can’t take responsibility yourselves as to how you’ve been hurting this house-

“Rowan.”

“-doesn’t mean you can just blame-”

“I did it okay!”

Everyone at the Hufflepuff table turned to look at him, each and every one furious besides Rowan and Jane, who looked more disappointed than anything. Not wasting a second, Joseph grabbed Rowan’s wrist and pulled him from his chair and outside, only stopping when the doors to the Great Hall closed behind him.

“Seph what’s going on?” Rowan asked, fiddling with his permanently messed up tie, “You were sneaking around last night? With a Slytherin?”

“Yes but it wasn’t like that! I was going to practice dueling spells outside and-”

“And you didn’t ask for my help? I could have read up on more spells or-”

“I didn’t want you to get in trouble!”

“So instead you invited someone from another house?”

“I didn’t invite Merula we-”

“Snyde!? You snuck around with Merula Snyde!?”

“Shhh!” Joseph insisted, pushing Rowan down onto a nearby bench, “Just give me a minute to explain.”

~~~

“It’s just like your vision,” Rowan whispered to himself, “With all the ice, and with them mentioning your brother, do you know what this means!?”

“I mean, yes it-”

“It means the vaults are real! And if the vaults are real than your brother can’t be mad and we can prove it. Sure there are some strange parts like the fact that where you said the corridor is makes no sense architecturally and that the staircase wasn’t there but-”

“Wait, what did you just say?”

“The staircase wasn’t there?”

“No, before that.”

“The corridor, it doesn’t make sense with the castle’s layout.”

“But I saw it, so it has to,” Joseph stood up sharply, “It was right over here.”

The two of them quickly walked down the corridor, pulling up next to the wall Joseph was sure had the door on it but they found… nothing.

“But it was here,” Joseph frowned, “It was strange but it was here and-”

“I believe you, Seph,” Rowan smiled, placing his hand on Joseph’s shoulder, “It must have been incredibly powerful magic though, to make a room appear and disappear so suddenly.”

~~~

“ **_Alohomora!_ ** ” Everyone cast in unison, some successfully opening the chest in front of them and others struggling to do so. Behind him, Joseph was sure that he must have heard Billingsley cast _Wingardium Leviosa_ instead.

“I’ve been thinking, Rowan, “Joseph whispered, leaning over, “I think we should try to enter the vault.”

Rowan smiled, “I thought you’d say that, so I created a checklist of things we’ll need to figure out.”

Rowan took a piece of paper out from his cloak, sliding it over to Joseph the moment Flitwick wasn’t looking. Joseph looked down at it, reading silently to himself.

Find how to:

~Get into the corridor

~Distract the guard

~ ~~Unlock the door~~

“We are learning _Alohomora_ ,” Rowan smiled, “As long as there isn’t a stronger magic barrier, getting in should be easy. So we just need to figure out the other two.”

“And I think I know just who can help.”

~~~

“Penny Haywood!?” Rowan exclaimed, a bit too loud for being in the common room, “You two know each other!?”

“And a good thing too,” Penny smiled, “I thought Dumbledore was talking about Liz and I when he started giving his morning announcement, and If I hadn’t seen you that night I probably would still think that.”

“But what about the deceiving a Prefect part?”

“I thought maybe Liz did that before we met up, though knowing her it really wouldn’t make much sense.” She stood up from the loveseat, “But that doesn’t matter now. To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the heroic Joseph Thompson and Rowan K-”

“You know who I am too!?”

Penny laughed, “Of course! People notice how often you talk with Joseph, and I notice what people notice.”

“So,” Joseph said, adjusting his glasses, “You’ve probably realized we need your help.”

“I did the second you came in,” She smiled, “What gossip do you need confirmed?”

“Gossip?” Rowan questioned, “We just need your help with a potion.”

“A potion!” Penny instantly beamed, “Oh that’s great! No one ever asks me for that!”

“But I thought you said you were good at making them?” Joseph asked, his head tilting slightly.

“I am, but most people would rather hear about rumors that rat spleen.”

Joseph gasped, “But it’s such a useful ingredient!”

The three of them laughed, following Penny as she lead them outside and into a small closet next to the kitchens. Hidden inside under a rather large yet unassuming box was a cauldron, small fire starter, and various potion ingredients. Penny sat down next to it, gesturing with both hands and smiling wide as she asked, “Well, what are we making?”

~~~

With the three of them combined, brewing a Sleeping Draught was no problem, and they were able to finish in what Rowan assured them must have been record-breaking time. After Penny was done bottling it up, she started to hand it over to Joseph, but hesitated mid-pass.

“What do you need this for anyway?” She asked, eyeing the two of them.

“Well,” Joseph sighed, “You’ve probably guessed already, but we’re trying to find a cursed vault, and we think that we can knock out whoever is guarding it with that.”

“You won’t tell anyone, right?” Rowan frowned, trying to fix his permanently messy tie.

“Of course not,” She smiled, “But only if you take me with you.”

“You want to come!?”

“Of course! I only ever get asked to parties. Imagine how much more exciting it would be to go on an adventure.”

Joseph nodded in agreement, smiling wide as Penny gave him the bottle and he tucked it into his robes. The two of them discussed what they saw, needed, and had planned before parting ways, the whole time trying their best to appease Rowan as he tried to figure out what exactly a Hogwarts party was like.

~~~

Approaching another houses table during dinner never looked normal, in fact, it made you stand out to almost everyone in the room, but Joseph had to speak to Ben. He sat down across from him, grabbing a strangely large sandwich and taking a bite as he tried to ignore the glares from the Gryffindors surrounding him.

“Joseph?” Ben questioned, nervously avoiding everyone’s looks, “What are you doing here?”

“I need your help with something.”

“Oh, well,” He smiled, “Sure. Anything after you saved me from Merula.”

“Great!” He beamed, standing up and grabbing what remained of his meal, “Meet me tomorrow night outside the Grand Staircase. And be ready, it could get pretty dangerous.”

Joseph turned and left, rushing over to the Hufflepuff table before anyone could complain, leaving Ben to silently worry by himself.

“Dangerous?”

~~~

Joseph was incredibly aware of the small amount of time they had left, with the end of the year quickly approaching in just a weeks time, and he knew that he’d need all the help he could get if he wanted to find a way into the vault in time.

With this in mind, he approached Merula Snyde.

“What is it you want, Thompson?” Merula growled, not looking up from the potion she was brewing.

“You don’t have a partner for this assignment so I just thought you might-”

“Sod off, Thompson, Ismelda is just late.”

Joseph frowned, “Look,” He began, checking behind him to make sure Snape was still occupied, “We’re both after the same thing, aren’t we? Don’t you think it would be easier if we worked together?” He lifted his hand out towards her, “Friends?”

Merula glanced at it for a moment, considering his offer before shaking her head and staring back into her cauldron, “Drop dead.”

And they left it at that.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting super close to the end now! I hope you're all excited and have enjoyed the story so far! Don't forget to comment your thoughts below!


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